Dogs really are phenomenal creatures. They’re easily trainable, and they love to complete tasks that we set out for them to do. If you’re an avid hunter, you might have thought about bringing a hunting dog into the mix, or maybe you have one but aren’t sure whether or not they’ll do well out hunting with you. Here are some essential hunting dog training tips, plus some supplies that might make the process easier! Master the Commands First Before you even broach the idea of hunting specific training tools, you dog needs to have a preliminary understanding of basic commands. Knowing how to sit, stay and come are all key parts of hunting dog training. If they can’t sit still with you on command, how can you expect them to assist you out while hunting? Teaching those basic commands first is always a must. Make sure you invest in a dog collar and leash set to best assist in getting that training complete. You’ll easily find that once your dog has mastered those simple commands that the remaining hunting training will come easier. Discover Our Noise-Free Silicone Dog Tags They Should Be Used to Gunshots Let’s face it. Gunshots are loud. Even to human ears, they can do damage. Now, imagine a dog’s ears, which are about four times as sensitive as ours, being in close range of a gunshot for the first time. If they’re not used to it before you start training with them, then you’ll be hard-pressed to get your dog to focus long enough and not run away scared. Consider sending your dog off to fetch a decoy and fire a shot as they start running after the decoy. Continue this, but get closer to the dog each time you fire your shot. Eventually, you’ll be right next to them when you fire your shot. By this point, they should be familiar with the sound and not bothered by it. Train Them to Find Game Before Retrieving It Before your dog can actively retrieve game, they should know how to find it. They should learn how to run through a field in a zigzag pattern instead of a straight line. This way, they can find more game. You can use bumpers or even your arm or hand as a way to guide them through the field at first. Obviously, every time they do something right you should give them a small treat or reward for their good job! After you feel that your dog has mastered running in a zigzag line, then you can move on to training them how to retrieve game. Practice this by using decoys and dropping them from the air. Have your dog go retrieve the decoy and bring it back. After some time, your dog should start to associate falling decoys from the air as where they need to focus their attention, waiting until you blow a call for them to go retrieve the game. Take Your Dog Out for a Spin After you feel that your dog has mastered all the necessary trainings, take them out for a test spin as a hunting dog! Try to avoid going with a hunting crowd; this might overwhelm your dog. Start out small, and don’t expect them to be the very best immediately. You probably weren’t an expert marksman immediately upon learning to hunt, so don’t expect your dog to be overwhelmingly good, either. Get Your Pup a QR Dog Tag Hunting Supplies to Bring with Your Pet Bringing your pet along with you on a hunt means that you’ll need to pack some extra supplies. Here are some of the best supplies to bring with you on a hunt that will make things easier for you and your pup: Treats: Dog treats are essential for your patient pup who will wait for hours with you until you give the signal for them to go retrieve game. Safety supplies: First aid kit, wound care materials and even a silicone pet tag are all essential supplies to bring with you on a hunt with your dog. Pro tip: Since your dog will be out in the wild with you, consider getting them our Tile for pets to help you locate them! Depending on how far out your dog has to go to retrieve game, you might end up needing our state-of-the-art Bluetooth tracking technology. You can learn what to put on dog tags with any of our helpful guides to ensure your pup stays safe out there with you.